


Kiss & Tell

by afewmistakesago



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Happy Ending, no magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-13
Updated: 2015-09-13
Packaged: 2018-04-20 14:26:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4790651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afewmistakesago/pseuds/afewmistakesago
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ruby Lucas needs two more people to finish her class project of recreating a viral video. Belle agrees because she's a good friend. Gold agrees because his son talks him into it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kiss & Tell

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the video I'm referencing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpbDHxCV29A!   
> I got this idea from an otpprompts post which I now cannot find the link to. Hope you like it. :)

Her hands were sweaty and shaking, and her stomach felt like it was flipping. If Ruby Lucas wasn’t her best friend, she wouldn't be sitting on a stool in a dimly lit dressing room getting her makeup done. Ruby was brushing some blush over her cheeks, half focused on Belle’s makeup, half checking her phone to make sure the mystery person would arrive on time. Belle turned to look in the vanity mirror, noticing the way the light blue sundress Ruby had picked made her eyes pop. Her hair was completely down and wavy, and she didn’t look half bad.They were supposed to look “natural” for this, but she’d only complied to be in the video when Ruby agreed to help her pick what to wear and do her makeup.

Ruby was starting her third year as a Film Production major at Boston University, and one of the projects for her Digital Editing class was to remake a viral video. After perusing YouTube for far too long with Belle over Skype, she’d picked the video where different pairs of strangers kissed, never having met each other. Ruby had gotten four random strangers from her university to participate, but her last pairing had backed out. And now she was home for a long weekend, and she needed a few more minutes of film, and Belle was her best option. The only challenge was finding the male counterpart.

“I still can’t believe you’re getting me to do this,” Belle mumbled. “You owe me.”

“It’s not so bad,” Ruby tutted. “The first two couples did fine. One went for drinks afterwards, even. I could have found your soulmate, Belle.”

“You’re still not saying who it is, Rubes,” Belle pointed out, adjusting her earrings as she looked at her own reflection. “You do know who it is, right?”

Ruby bit her lip. “Not… exactly?”

Belle turned to look at her. “Not exactly? Aren’t you in charge of this?”

“Yes, Belle, but I did put out an open call,” said Ruby, showing her a photo of a flyer on the Storybrooke News Postings board in the town square.

“God, Ruby! How do you even know anyone is showing up?”

“I was desperate! The couple from class cancelled on me, and the nice guys in this town are all taken… but someone is showing up. I got a text.”

“And they didn’t say who they were?”

“Nope. Just that they’ll be here,” Ruby said with a shrug.

“Isn’t it supposed to be a total stranger? Like, if it’s someone from town, I’ve probably helped them at the library… guess you’ll have to find another volunteer,” Belle said, getting out of the chair.

Ruby grabbed her arm. “Please, Belle! It’s due in a week and I’ve still got a ton of editing to do for the first two couples and I’m working a double tomorrow at the restaurant, and would you please stay? It can be a kiss on the cheek if it’s someone awful.”

“If it’s Keith, I’m leaving. Well, I’m stomping on his shoe again and leaving,” Belle threatened. “But I’ll stay. Just because I love you.”

Ruby pulled her in for a quick hug. “That’s my girl. And it’s not like you’ve never kissed anyone. It’ll be fine.”

Belle rolled her eyes. “I’m just...nervous about who it is. Not about the kissing itself. Because everytime I see them in town again, it’ll be like, ‘Hey, remember how we kissed for that video?’”

“And maybe the next time you see them you’re on a date,” Ruby said playfully. “You haven’t been on a date in how long, exactly?”

“This is so stressful. When’s he getting here?” Belle asked, changing the subject. She reached for her purse off the corner of the chair and searching for a mint.

“Soon,” Ruby assured her, leading Belle to the vacant inn room she’d converted into her filming studio. A white drape covered one of the walls, and Ruby began to adjust her tripod and camera to be ready to film when the mystery man appeared.

\--

He shouldn’t have even stopped when Bae pointed to the bright poster on the town’s bulletin board. Adam Gold was a busy man, who had properties to see to, a shop to run… but he was utterly powerless against his fourteen-year old son. Bae had taken a photo of the sign and was now pulling up a video on the YouTube app, and Adam glanced at the words on the paper.

_“*Ruby Lucas Productions*_

_Needed: One male (at least 21 years old), dressed casually_

_Where: Granny’s Inn, 3pm, this Sunday_

_I, Ruby Lucas, am working on a project for my editing class. I have to imitate a viral video, (link), and I have a female but no male for the final scene. Serious applicants only. You will be paid with a free lunch from Granny’s. Please text 444-234-5678 to say you’ll participate._

_Experience nice, but not necessary. ;)”_

“What kinda video do you think it is, dad?” Bae asked, clicking play on his phone.

Adam paused. He recognized that video. Late one night, he’d been clicking random articles as his insomnia didn’t let him sleep and he found it … calming. The way the strangers giggled, nervously touching the other person’s face or hands. Some people dived right in, others introduced themselves first, or afterwards. It was innocence and daring and human nature at its finest. He’d never tell Bae, of course, and he watched as his son’s expression changed to one of understanding.

“It’s a kissing video!” he said, wrinkling his nose.

“Just turn it off, Bae. It’s a ridiculous request,” Adam muttered, “I should call Sheriff Humbert to have it removed.”

“No, dad,” Bae said, his eyes glued to the screen of his iPhone, “This is cool. They’re like, total strangers. And they’re just kissing.”

“I can see that,” Adam said, making a move to snatch the blasted device from Bae’s hands.

“You should do it,” Bae said suddenly, his eyes wide and pleading. “It would so cool if you were in Ruby’s video.”

“What?” Adam stammered. “That’s - I’m not doing that, Bae.”

“Why not?” he implored. “You haven’t dated anyone since….”

Since his mother had left, twelve years ago. There wasn’t time to date anyone seriously when he was raising a boy as active as his. It wasn’t a priority. There had been one night events when Bae was young, and he’d stayed with a sitter, but they never led to second dates. He’d had fancied some women in passing, of course - one in particular, actually, but acting on those thoughts would be preposterous.

“No, son,” he said quietly. “I don’t think anyone wants to kiss your old man.”

Bae frowned, then a sneaky grin slid over his face. “Ms. French wants to kiss you.”

If Adam’s jaw could’ve dropped to the ground, it would’ve been there. “I mean, she’s always nice to you when we go to the library, dad. It’s so obvious. Even I can tell,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Besides, you’d be helping the community. It’s for a college class. You always tell me involvement is important.”

“Ms. French - Ms. French’s job is to be nice! She’s a librarian! She can’t say, “screw it, find your own books,” Adam replied, doing a poor job of imitating Ms. French’s accent. He hoped Bae didn’t notice the rise in his heart rate at the mention of the town's beautiful librarian. She did always smile when she saw him, but she smiled at everyone.

“What if it’s Ms. French, the girl Ruby has already! That would be sick,” Bae said, nodding his head and beginning to walk towards the pier, the original destination of their walk to town before this kissing nonsense happened.

“Sick?” Adam asked, scratching his head as he debated whether or not he could show up at Ruby’s filming. Would it really be so unusual of him to help her? He didn’t generally attend town events, unless Bae wanted to go. And he did host the occasional sleepover for the kids in his neighborhood. It wasn’t like he was uninvolved. Ruby shouldn’t be terrible disappointed if he’d arrived to be her subject. Go in, kiss some anonymous woman, get a free lunch - a normal Sunday, really.

“I texted that number, dad. Ruby has you confirmed for 3pm,” Bae said, slightly gloating. “And she said if you don’t show up, she’ll track the number and “make you regret it”.”

“Lovely,” Adam said half-heartedly, staring hopelessly at the Inn across the way. He might drag his feet to get there, but it seemed he’d end his leave of absence from the world of hopeless romance.

 

\---

 

Just as she assured Belle that everything would be okay for like, the thousandth time, there was a hesitant knock at the door. “That’s him!” Ruby said, “You go wait on that side, I’ll prep him in the hallway, we’ll get this going.”

Belle nodded, swallowing heavily. Ruby arrived to the door, opening it just enough that she could creep out without Belle seeing who her stranger would be.

Well. He wasn’t a stranger. Adam Gold owned half the town, but mostly kept to himself. She had no issues with him, and she liked that he put his son before anything else. In fact, she’d waited on him a few times on her breaks from school and he was a great tipper. Ruby somehow felt unsurprised to see him, thankful it wasn’t Keith or any other less than appealing bachelor. Mr. Gold would do just fine.

Mr. Gold was looking everywhere but at her as he said, “I’m sorry, Ms. Lucas, this was foolish - my son signed me up,” and she held up one finger, stopping him in his excuse as he tried to leave.

“Hush. We’re doing it,” Ruby said, giving him her widest smile. “You’re perfect. Get in, kiss Belle, get out.”

“Belle?” he asked, his eyes widening like a woodland animal caught in headlights.

“You don’t know her? She’s the little librarian with curly hair who wears the heels… she’s a sweetheart. My best friend. It’ll be fun. It’s great that you two don’t know each other, actually, for the sake of artistic integrity,” Ruby said, talking more to herself then to Adam, who was staring at the door now.

“You’re going to go in, I’ll fix the camera for your heights. Introduce yourself while you’re doing that, if you want. Then I’ll count down, you go for it, then I call cut. Easy. Over with. Free lunch the second you’re done,” Ruby explained, slowly opening the door.

Once she was sure Adam was following behind her, she went for the camera and she saw Belle look up from a book she had brought with her. Ruby was sure she was just nervously reading the same line over and over again, but if it helped Belle to calm down, it didn’t matter.

Belle’s eyes widened, and Adam stepped cautiously in front of the drape. “Hey,” he said.

“Hi,” Belle replied, and Ruby noted her voice was a level higher than normal.

“Introduce yourselves, guys,” she called, double-checking that the camera’s memory was working.

“Ruby,” Belle breathed, her book long forgotten on a near counter. Ruby looked up. Belle and Mr. Gold were inches apart, staring into other’s eyes. “Ruby, you said it had to be a stranger,” she said, not taking her eyes off of Gold.

“Yes, and he said he didn’t know you,” Ruby said, returning to the camera settings.

“I know her,” Adam said softly. Whatever. Her professor wouldn’t know that they knew each other.

“Ready, Ruby?” Belle asked, reaching to take one of Gold’s hands in her own.

Ruby looked up, and cleared her throat. They broke their gaze, and she gave them hand signals. Three, two, one, beep. The camera was rolling. Ruby felt her expression shift as everything played out. Gold leaned down, and Belle had dropped his hand and was instead reaching her arms around his neck as she went up on her tiptoes to meet his lips with hers. It was chaste at first, simple and innocent. Ruby watched absentmindedly, counting down in her mind to get enough footage. Then, almost instantaneously, one of Belle’s hand was running through his hair and his hands were running up and down her back, and they were passionate now, almost aggressive. Their kiss had turned intense, needy and wanting and back and forth as they rocked together.

“Uhh… that’s enough,” Ruby tried, watching as her friend and the most powerful man in town blocked the world out. Now that she thought about, Belle had vaguely referenced having a crush, but she never named a name. It wouldn’t surprise her now if her favorite library patron was Adam Gold.

She kept the camera rolling, unsure of whether it felt appropriate to watch or not. It was like a damn romance movie. They should be out in the pouring rain, confessing their undying love to each other, because there was certainly chemistry zapping out at her. Seconds that felt excruciatingly long passed, and Ruby muttered something about getting a room. She was proud of her friend for getting some action, but this was for her school project and she needed the video to include what happened when the kiss ended.

If they kept going, nobody was going to believe they were strangers. They seemed  far too familiar with what they were doing. Gold was the first to break the kiss, breathing heavily Belle stumbled back a little, her fingers reaching cautiously to cover her mouth. She began to laugh, and Gold began to laugh too.

“I can’t believe that just happened,” Belle laughed, reaching to give Gold a quick hug.

“I know,” Gold said, a note of happiness in his voice that was unfamiliar to Ruby. Gold suddenly noticed Ruby, straightening out his dress shirt. “I, uh, hope that was satisfactory,” he said.

Belle giggled again. “Yeah, we gave you an eyeful.”

Ruby shrugged, then gave in to the weirdness of the situation and laughed. “It seems like you guys are a perfect match. You’re welcome.”

“Do I get the free lunch now?” Adam asked in a quiet voice, and Belle wrapped her arm around his side. “Do I get to take this stranger to lunch?” he asked, speaking to Belle in a lowered voice.

“Yes,” Belle said, nodding cheerily, her cheeks still pink from the heat of the moment, “You can take me to lunch.”

Ruby led them to the diner, then went back to her studio. She had a lot of editing to do.

-

She got an A on her video. It didn’t go viral, but it did make the rounds in the Storybrooke library, and then again after a wedding a year later.

 

 


End file.
